1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus which picks up an image of a field of view and in particular to an imaging apparatus which includes an imaging unit that picks up an image of a field of view and a control unit that is electrically connected to the imaging unit to perform control according to the picked up image, the apparatus having a function of determining or detecting an anomaly in the electrical connection.
2. Related Art
Various fields of art make use of an imaging apparatus for picking up an image in accord with light that is incident from a field of view. A well-known imaging apparatus as one type of such an imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit and a control unit electrically connected to the imaging unit to perform control according to the picked up image. Recently, this type of imaging apparatus is increasingly installed in vehicles. For example, some techniques offer to pick up an image around a vehicle and process the picked up image to reflect the results of the processing to the traveling of the vehicle.
However, if any anomaly, such as disconnection, occurs in the electrical connection between the imaging unit and the control unit, the control unit cannot very often perform control according to the image picked up by the imaging unit. A measure against this problem is disclosed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses an imaging apparatus that picks up an image of the surroundings of a vehicle. The imaging apparatus is configured to determine the occurrence of an anomaly in signals outputted from the imaging unit when the vehicle travels during time that is estimated not to be nighttime, such as when the head lamps are turned off, but when the levels of the electric signals (intensities of a picked-up image) are not more than a predetermined value.
Patent Document 1 JP-A-2001-204012
However, there is a problem in determining the occurrence of an anomaly by comparing, as in Patent Document 1, the level of a signal corresponding to an image picked up by the imaging unit with a predetermined value. Specifically, the predetermined value has to be set to a significantly low value taking account of variations in the characteristics of imaging units or variations among individual drivers as to whether to turn on the head lamps. Therefore, the technique of Patent Document 1 does not necessarily enable, for example, determination on the occurrence of a minor anomaly, such as disconnection in a part of a parallel cable that transmits an image picked up by the imaging unit in the form of a digital signal to a control unit.